norbold

I've just about recovered. It's taken 41 years, but I'm almost there.... Of course I did have a bad relapse in 1972 when West Ham closed as well. That didn't help.

You know how to hurt someone, Grachan! It was 1963.

Was CHK there as well I wonder?

I have just been discussing possible future books with the sports editor at Tempus. One idea we came up with was a book on classic matches. Not just factual reports but fans' memories of "The best match I ever saw" type of thing and what made it a classic. I know we've done this sort of thing before on the Forum, but we thought it would make a good book. The obvious candidate for such a book is the 1981 World Final, whereas my own Classic Match of all time, for example, was the Wimbledon West Ham 1965 Knock Out Cup encounter. I may need to include some early matches that no-one on here will remember for completeness, but generally the idea, as I say, would be to get a fans' view. I would compile and edit the book. Firstly, what do you think of the idea? Secondly, if the idea finds favour, what matches would you want to include and would you be willing to add your memories? As we are looking for a lot of help from Forum members we thought that proceeds from the book could go to the Forum itself and FAST.

Let's just say it's on the back burner at the moment. Classic Speedway Meetings is next.

I would think that any team that DOESN'T want to sign him want its head testing. A young rider who is likely to be around the top for years to come. Personally I hope Ipswich hang on to him.

To be fair though Norbold, they were both recognised team members at Eastbourne and Canterbury weren't they? Not at the time, no. I saw their first ever race in the second half at West Ham. Jessup was 15; Thomas was 16. Although Thomas won, I thought Jessup looked to be the better prospect. And so it proved...or did it?

Can you e-mail it to me too please, wollongong? Thanks.

I knew I'd heard of him somewhere...

Well, I can help you out with some, but I expect you know those as well as me! As for the others...Perhaps Bryn might know?

Almost all...Don't forget Grzegorz WALASEK.

The first three in the first open meeting that took place there were: Paul Dowdall, Rocky Coutts and Mick Camier. The 1975 Iwade Junior team included Dave Ross, Paul Dowdall, Gary Keown, Ray Allen, Kevin Garcia, Roy Barwick, Paul Heller and Alan Diprose. Other early riders there were Pip Austen, Colin Clark, Fred Stubberfield, Brendan Shillito, John Douglas, Duane Kent, Dave Basson, Dave Cullen, Steve Davey and Nigel Sparshott. In 1983, the Thomases (Barry and his brother Ivor) organised the juniors in to teams called The Mustangs, the Shires, The Stallions and the Colts, Riders included Ray Morton and Chris Mulverhill (Mustangs), Paul Whittaker and Mark Fordham (Shires), Terry Mussett and Paul Tillman (Stallions) and Paul Muchene and someone called Mark Loram (Colts). Andy Galvin also had some of his early experience at the track.

John Holder at West Ham. If he finished less than half a lap behind everyone else we saw it as a victory. We also had two young second halfers called Dave Jessup and Barry Thomas. I wonder whatever happened to them.

OK, following further discussions with Tempus about the Classic Meetings book and its format etc., I can now give the following update. Firstly, I will be co-editing the book with falcace. The book will consist of 20 chapters and will include two meetings from each decade 20s - 00s. This, as you will observe, makes 18. There will therefore be two "wild card" chapters, which can be from any decade. Falcace and I would welcome your suggestions on which matches to include before we make a final decision and we thought that, in any case, the two extra chapters would be those which are most popular with Forumers. We are hoping to make a start on the book as soon as possible with a view to having it published in time for next year's British Grand Prix. I have already made a note of the suggestions posted on here, but further suggestions would be welcome. You can either post on here or e-mail them direct to falcace or me. So get posting or e-mailing!

Just looking at that line-up, it strikes me that the two wild cards are better than most of the actual GP riders!

See under Speedway General Discussions

I don't think I need to to. It's all been said!

Arthur Forrest and Bill Gilbert were certainly post-war only. So it seems likely they all were. I reckon the dates 1947-9 are just about right.

I don't think that can be right wollongong. There was no speedway in Great Britain in 1943 apart from Belle Vue. Wimbledon certainly didn't have a team in 1943. Mike Erskine joined Wimbledon in 1946 and rode for them in 1947 and 48 so that would still fit in with your original dates.

Dont quite understand what you are saying???? Are you trying to predict what will happen!? Oh dear!

1. Jason Crump 2. Greg Hancok 3. Andreas Jonsson 4. Mark Loram I reckon it was a shame about the clash between Leigh Adams and Tony Rickardsson in the semi-final that saw them both go out.....

The story so far... On Saturday, for the first time in 37 years, I met up with the man who originally nicknamed me norbold back in 1965 (see General Discussions). He is now the headmaster of a primary school in Hertfordshire. At a school jumble sale one of the items left over was a small autograph book. The organisers were going to throw it away but my creator, Andy, kept it. He showed it to me on Saturday. It was the autograph book of a Wembley Lions supporter in the early 1930s and contained, amongst others, the autographs of Tom Farndon, Vic Huxley, Sprouts Elder, Bluey Wilkinson, Lionel Van Praag, Dick Case, Gus Kuhn, Buster Frogley and Wally Kilmister. There was also a real photograph of a young Johnnie Hoskins stuck in on the back page together with his autograph. Andy asked me if it was worth anything. I told him it was worth a fair bit in the right circles with those names in. As I was leaving at the end of an enjoyable afternoon, Andy gave me the book and said, "Here take it. It's no good to me." I told him again it was worth a bit of money and he said, "No, I don't want anything for it, I'm just glad to have found someone to whom it means something." I'm glad I met up with my creator again 37 years on....

Yes. It's Jim you have to thank, even though it's George Bason not Basin! There's also Alfred George Boyce, George Henry Butler, George Farmer, George Fisher, George (Huck) Finn, George Gower, George Saunders, George Smith and George Wall. Any good?

OK, we'll go for Peace then. It looks as though they were all juniors around 1948. Arthur Forrest, of course, went on to become one of England's best (3rd in the World Championship in 1956) but at the time of your autograph book only just starting out. Perhaps poor old Stringer/Zilinger/Linger never made it beyond the second half...

Yes, could be Peace. He rode for Odsal in four matches in 1949 and scored the grand total of one point! On the other hand, I know it's stretching it a bit, but there's no chance it could be Ron Mason is there? He was a regular Odsal rider of the period. Can't find George Stringer in my Who's Who or in any of the Stenner's Annuals of the period.